Event

Looking at the Stars

Fri May 11: 7.00pm
Sat May 12: 8.15pm
Sun May 13: 7.30pm

Alexandre Peralta
Brazil & US
2016
1h 30m

About
Looking at the Stars takes as its subject the people of the remarkable Fernanda Bianchini Ballet Company for the Blind. Located in São Paulo, Brazil, it is the only professional ballet company for visually impaired dancers in the world. In particular, the film focuses on two dancers: Geyza, the star of the company, and Thalia, a middle-schooler and aspiring writer, in this documentary that traces a few pivotal years in their lives, in and out of their ballet company.

Throughout the entirety of this documentary, the rehearsals and performances are interwoven with life outside dancing. Numerous life milestones and turning points are reached in a broad range from middle school matriculation to marriage even as the slow honing of technical ballet skills continues apace. Looking at the Stars reveals itself to be a film deeply attuned to the mindsets of these unique, talented, and committed performers, capturing their worries and aspirations with a sincerity and kind-heartedness that is reflected in any context, whether it be in the quiet of the home, the doldrums of school, or the empowering space of the stage.